One in four clean energy workers said they have witnessed or suffered a workplace injury, according to a new report from Cornell University and the Texas Climate Jobs Project.

According to Bo Delp, executive director of the Texas Climate Jobs Project, the report surveyed more than 1,200 Texas workers in solar, onshore wind and renewable energy production.

“Texas is the only state in the country that does not require workers’ compensation insurance,” he said. “Workers who suffer heat-related illnesses or injuries on the job are at risk of having to pay out of pocket for injuries sustained while working for their employer.”

Delp said renewable energy will account for nearly 90 percent of the state’s planned renewal by 2030. But the workforce needed for renewable energy, Delp said, “is at risk of being left behind.”

According to the report, 43% of respondents across all industries reported suffering from heat-related illness.

“This was more true for those who did not have access to breaks or water,” said Jillian Morley of Cornell University’s Climate Jobs Institute.

Morley added that workers who completed the survey in English were 125% more likely to report getting breaks than workers who submitted the survey in Spanish.

Last September, the Death Star Law, officially known as the Texas Regulatory Consistency Act, went into effect. The law limits the ability of cities and counties to enact local ordinances, but also eliminates mandatory water breaks for construction workers at the local level.

“We believe that there are enough fair-minded employers and politicians. If they came together, most fair-minded people could agree that workers need heat protection and rest when the sun is shining and it is hot,” said Bo Delp.

The full report, which also includes information on income disparities among women and people of color, is available online.